by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A sweeping five-day law enforcement operation targeting online child predators led to the arrest of 205 suspects and the rescue of 115 children across the United States, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on May 7.
Dubbed “Operation Restore Justice,” the multiagency effort involved the FBI’s 55 field offices and over 90 U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. Authorities targeted individuals involved in child sex trafficking, production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, and online enticement of minors.
“These depraved human beings, if convicted, will face the maximum penalty in prison — some life,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi during a press conference. She emphasized that the operation was intended to send a clear message that those who prey on children would be aggressively pursued and prosecuted.
FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted that some of those arrested held positions of public trust, including law enforcement personnel, teachers, and other professionals. “There is no place we will not come to hunt you down,” Patel said. “There is no place we will not look for you. And there is no cage we will not put you in should you do harm to our children.”
Among those arrested were Minnesota State Trooper Jeremy Francis Plonski, who faces up to 15 years in prison for allegedly producing child pornography; Jose Alexis Valdez Sosa, a Mexican migrant accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sexual exploitation; and Linwood Barnhill, a former Washington, D.C. police officer and registered sex offender charged with sex trafficking children by force.
Bondi urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities to protect them from potential predators. “Your child has no right to privacy on the internet — none,” she said. “You have to monitor what your kids are doing, whether they’re playing games on the internet, on social media, or on any other websites that children and teenagers frequent. An online predator can find them.”
In a related statement, President Donald Trump emphasized the administration’s commitment to combating child exploitation, stating, “My message to every American child is simple: you are perfect exactly the way God made you.”
The crackdown is part of a broader DOJ initiative to tackle child exploitation through coordinated efforts involving state, federal, and local partners. Previous operations, including “Operation Cross Country XII” in 2022 under the Biden administration, resulted in the arrest of 85 suspected traffickers and the recovery of 121 missing children.
The DOJ continues to encourage the public to report suspected child exploitation through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline and local law enforcement agencies.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he plans to travel to the United States in the coming days for a key meeting with U.S. President Donald J. Trump, as Washington pushes for possible peace talks to end Russia’s nearly four-year-long war against Ukraine. Sources familiar with the matter said the talks could happen as early as Sunday and focus on potential paths toward ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. Zelenskyy has stressed that any discussion of sensitive issues, including possible territorial compromises, must take place at … Read more
A Christian father of three was murdered in Pakistan’s Punjab province by Muslims over the Christmas holiday because of his faith in Christ, confirmed sources told Worthy News on Friday.
Millions of people across hard-hit California faced mounting challenges Friday as a powerful rain and wind storm, fueled by an atmospheric river from the Pacific, continued to batter large parts of the state, following weather-related deaths earlier in the week amid widespread flooding, debris flows, and power outages.
European monarchs used their televised Christmas speeches to call for compassion, unity, and responsibility in a year marked by war in Ukraine, deep divisions, and widespread anxiety over Europe’s future.
Bangladesh Opposition Leader Returns Home After 17 Years, Draws Massive Crowds By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent DHAKA (Worthy News)— Bangladesh opposition leader Tarique Rahman has returned home after 17 years in exile, pledging safety, justice, and national unity if he becomes the troubled nation’s next leader following elections expected in February. Rahman arrived in Dhaka from London, where he had lived in exile in the United Kingdom since 2008, according to party officials. Hundreds of thousands of supporters welcomed the aspiring prime minister in the capital, Dhaka, lining roads from the airport and gathering for a … Read more
The Alpine principality of Liechtenstein, one of Europe’s smallest countries, spent Christmas in shock over what authorities described as the worst killings in recent history, amid suspicions of a triple murder followed by suicide.
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, marked its first Christmas celebrations since a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hamas, though concern lingered among Christians following an arson attack near a church elsewhere in the West Bank.